Schmirler dead at 36

Tribute to Sandra Schmirler

Curler Sandra Schmirler makes a television appearance Friday Feb. 11, 2000, in Moncton during a news conference to discuss her battle with cancer. Schmirler died early Thursday morning, March 2, 2000 in Regina. (CP Photo)

 REGINA (CP) -- Curler Sandra Schmirler, who had been battling cancer, died March 2 in hospital. She was 36.

 The Regina skip dominated women's curling in the 1990s by winning three Canadian and world championships and capturing the first Olympic gold medal awarded in the sport.

 Schmirler's foursome was voted The Canadian Press team of the year of 1998 by sports editors and broadcasters across Canada. Schmirler was inducted into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame in March of 1999.

 "She was just such a fierce competitor," Ontario skip Anne Merklinger told CBC Newsworld.

 An emotional Schmirler, her voice scratchy from the cancer treatment, held a news conference in Moncton on Feb. 11, her first TV appearance since her illness.

 "It's been a hell of a fight," said the mother of two.

 Schmirler had lost 30 pounds during aggressive chemotherapy and radiation. She wore a black hat over hair thinned by the cancer treatments to stop a tumour that was pressing on her esophagus.

 She also said she wanted to take a winter holiday.

 "Because I've curled so much, I've never taken a hot vacation," said Schmirler. "I want to put my feet in the sand."

 She also said she planned to begin throwing rocks again later this year.

 "Right to the very end, she was such a fighter," Merklinger said.

 Despite her illness, Schmirler joked during her news conference and had the reporters in attendance laughing several times. Some watched in tears.

 Schmirler entered a Regina hospital on Feb. 20. While she had hoped to do commentary at the Scott Tournament of Hearts, instead she had to make do with a message to the closing banquet on Sunday.

 "I'm still fighting hard," she said in a message read out to master of ceremonies Vic Rauter. "And I still hope to make it to the (Brier) -- not playing but talking."

 The Brier starts Saturday.

 "For Saskatchewan, I was hoping to be in your green (at the Scott)," she continued. "But keep things in perspective. There are other things in life besides curling, which I have found.

 "But I hope to be on the curling trail again. And I'll see you all in Sudbury (site of the the next Scott) in 2001. Your curling friend, Sandra."

 Her father, Art, died in April 1999 of esophagus cancer at 64. He had been diagnosed with it two years before and doctors couldn't treat him. Doctors have told Schmirler there is no correlation between her disease and her father's.

 Two months after her dad died, Schmirler delivered Jenna. Only two months after giving birth, Schmirler nearly lost her life.

 It began when she visited a gastrointestinal doctor because she had problems swallowing. A compression was discovered in her esophagus. An X-ray revealed a spot that had doctors concerned.

 A subsequent CAT scan confirmed a cancerous mass in the thoracic cavity. Doctors discovered a five-centimetre tumour pressing on her esophagus and stomach.

 Schmirler described the last nine months as going to "hell and back."

 She required surgery in September to remove blood clots and nearly died on the table. Schmirler underwent aggressive chemotherapy and radiation, which made her extremely ill, to shrink the tumour.

 "Because they didn't know type of cancer, they hit me with everything," said Schmirler. "You name it. They hit me with it."

 Schmirler's illness touched many but few more than her teammates: Jan Betker, Joan McCusker and Marcia Gudereit.

 Said Gudereit: "We're like sisters. To watch, it's almost like it's happening to you. You just want to help so much.

 "There's nothing you can really do. It's her fight, but you just feel like if I could lop off an arm, that would help."

 She is survived by her husband Shannon, daughter Jenna, born June 30, and two-year-old daughter Sara.